The seventeenth century was a time of great upheaval in Europe. Many nations vied for power as turmoil swept through the traditional kingdoms of the continent. New states were born as old ones fell; the balance of power shifted; kings and queens were born and died. This was a period of growth and development for Europe, but it was not a time of peace.
· Became king in 1603 when Elizabeth died · From House of Stuarts; previously King of Scotland · Protestant, ruled when Puritans left England for Plymouth · Believed in divine right · Had many male lovers
· Son and successor of James I · Made England look more Catholic · Created the Court of High Commissions · Got angry at Parliament and did not summon them from 1629-1640 · Created his own army, the Cavaliers · Charles is found guilty of treason and beheaded in 1649
· Head of the commonwealth of England from 1649-1658 · Hard core protestant, religious tolerance for all except Catholics · Declared martial law and creates the New Model Army · Divided England into 12 sections · Prohibited drunkenness, theatergoing, and dancing
· Became king in 1660 · Restored Parliament and the Anglican church · Appointed 5 members of Parliament as advisers – “Cabal” · Made a secret alliance with Louis XIV of France - France gives England money every year in exchange for Charles to slowly bring Catholicism back · Died without an heir
· Became king in 1685; formerly the Duke of York · Catholic, put down a protestant rebellion started by his nephew James - rebels were arrested, tortured, and killed · Anglican bishops refused to follow Catholic practices · James II had a son and England feared a Catholic dynasty (“Rock a Bye Baby”) · England looked to the Netherlands
· Ruled from 1688-1718 · Not a good ruler, focused on the arts · Build palaces and founded Halle University · Assisted Austria in the War of Spanish Succession and was named “King of Prussia” by the Holy Roman Emperor in 1701
· Ruled from 1713-1740 · The “soldier’s king” · Obsessed with military – loves tall soldiers, personally inspected soldiers - tricked tall boys into joining the army - army grew from 39,000 – 80,000 (4th largest in Europe) · Ruled as an absolutist – thought his dad was too soft
· Ruled from 1533-1584 · Became king at age 3, his parents died when he was 8, became tsar at 16 · Known as “Ivan the Terrible” · Started a war with Poland · Reinstituted serfdom to stop Cossacks (peasant armies) · Married Anastasia from Romanov family
· Ruled from 1682-1725 · Was 6 feet and 7 inches tall · Wanted Russia to expand westward - needed a warm water port · Built St. Petersburg and forced nobles to live there · Brought in foreign experts, initiated a beard tax, and cut traditional long sleeves · Built baroque palaces and cities from scratch
Important Concepts
Constitutional State – a nation governend by laws
States-General – assembly of the estates of the sovereign body of the Netherlands
Stadholder – Head of state representative in the Netherlands
Merchant Marines – the merchant fleet of a country
Divine Right – the belief that monarchs have a God-given right to rule a nation
Cavaliers – a Royalist supporter of King Charles I during the English Civil War
Round Heads – the nickname given to the supporters of Parliament during the English Civil War
Magyar – a native of Hungary
Bureaucracy – nonelective government officials
Janissary – non-Turkish soldiers, who belonged to an elite infantry corps of the Ottoman army
Junkers – member of the Prussian aristocracy noted especially for militarism
Absolutism – a form of monarchical power that is unrestrained by all other institutions, such as churches, legislatures, or social elites
Czar – a male monarch or emperor of Russia
Cossack – an elite cavalry corps in Russia
Major Events
The Netherlands
The Netherlands underwent a period of intense growth and prosperity in the seventeenth century under the leadership of the House of Orange. The Dutch accomplished such prosperity by building an extensive trade network in East Asia; the Netherlands sustained a strong presence in the region through the first half of the twentieth century. Dutch culture had a strong influence throughout Europe in this period, mainly due to this growth of the Netherlands as a hub of international trade. With the death of William III in 1702, the Netherlands’ universal dominance of European politics and industry began to collapse as it succumed to political and economic stagnation.
England
Scottish Rebellion and the Long Parliament
Charles I dissolved Parliament from 1629-1640; in 1640, the nation of Scotland, which had been under English control, rebelled against the crown. Charles called Parliament into session hoping for aid, but instead, Parliament passed several resolutions limiting the power of the King and ensuring Parliament met every three years. This Long Parliament met continuously from 1640-1648.
The English Civil War
By 1642, the Irish had joined in Scotland's rebellion, and Charles I was left with a dilemma. Parliament refused to grant him money or soldiers to fight a war against the Scots and Irish. Charles summoned forces from among the English nobility and hired foreign mercenaries to form his own private army, which became known as the Cavaliers. Parliament responded by forming its own army from the London militia which became known as the Roundheads. Charles lost the war and was executed in 1649.
Oliver Cromwell and the English Protectorate
Oliver Cromwell , backed by his New Model Army, seized dictatorial control of England following the death of Charles I. He placed the country under martial law, censoring the press and restricting civil liberties. Cromwell died in 1658; martial rule collapsed with his death.
The Glorious Revolution
Dreading the establishment of a Catholic dynasty in England by the infant son of King James II, the people of England invited William and Mary of the Netherlands to England to assume the English throne. James II fled England, and William assumed the throne in 1689, becoming King William II. William recognized the supremacy of Parliament to the monarchy and passed a Bill of Rights ensuring Parliamentary control and the protection of certain liberties. William passed the English crown to the German house of Hanover in 1701.
The Rule of Walpole
Sir Robert Walpole rose to prominence in Parliament in the first part of the eighteenth century; he would later take control of the legislature as Prime Minister, consolidating Parliamentary power to cause it to become stronger than the King. Walpole made many reforms during his tenure, increasing global trade and the strength of the military and propelling England to world power status.
Spain
The War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1713)
Charles II, King of Spain, died in 1700 without designating an heir to the Spanish throne. As such, the major European powers of the period (France, England, the Netherlands, Austria, and Prussia) agreed to equally divide Spanish lands between themselves. Charles II, however, had willed all Spanish lands to Philip of Angeoux, nephew of Louis XIV, King of France. As a result Louis XIV claims that all Spanish lands now belong to France; England, the Netherlands, Austria, and Prussia form an alliance to prevent the consolidation of France and Spain from occurring. The war becomes a stalemate, and is settled by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
The Treaty of Utrecht (1713)
The Treaty of Utrecht was signed by the combatants in the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713 and lists the following terms:
Philip of Angeoux shall be crowned King of Spain on the condition that the Spanish and French thrones are never to be united.
France shall cede eastern Canada to England
England shall gain the strategic territory of Gibralter, at the entrance of the Mediterranean.
Austria shall gain the territory of the Spanish Netherlands (modern-day Belgium).
This treaty largely equalized the balance of power in Europe.
Overview
Table of Contents
The seventeenth century was a time of great upheaval in Europe. Many nations vied for power as turmoil swept through the traditional kingdoms of the continent. New states were born as old ones fell; the balance of power shifted; kings and queens were born and died. This was a period of growth and development for Europe, but it was not a time of peace.
Important Figures
James 1 of England
· Became king in 1603 when Elizabeth died
· From House of Stuarts; previously King of Scotland
· Protestant, ruled when Puritans left England for Plymouth
· Believed in divine right
· Had many male lovers
Charles 1 of England
· Son and successor of James I· Made England look more Catholic
· Created the Court of High Commissions
· Got angry at Parliament and did not summon them from 1629-1640
· Created his own army, the Cavaliers
· Charles is found guilty of treason and beheaded in 1649
Oliver Cromwell
· Head of the commonwealth of England from 1649-1658
· Hard core protestant, religious tolerance for all except Catholics
· Declared martial law and creates the New Model Army
· Divided England into 12 sections
· Prohibited drunkenness, theatergoing, and dancing
Charles II of England
· Became king in 1660
· Restored Parliament and the Anglican church
· Appointed 5 members of Parliament as advisers – “Cabal”
· Made a secret alliance with Louis XIV of France
- France gives England money every year in exchange for Charles to slowly bring Catholicism back
· Died without an heir
James II of England
· Became king in 1685; formerly the Duke of York
· Catholic, put down a protestant rebellion started by his nephew James
- rebels were arrested, tortured, and killed
· Anglican bishops refused to follow Catholic practices
· James II had a son and England feared a Catholic dynasty (“Rock a Bye Baby”)
· England looked to the Netherlands
Frederick William of Prussia
· Ruled from 1640-1688
· Known as “The Great Elector”
· Consolidated power in Prussia
· Created a permanent standing army that collected taxes
Frederick I of Prussia
· Ruled from 1688-1718
· Not a good ruler, focused on the arts
· Build palaces and founded Halle University
· Assisted Austria in the War of Spanish Succession and was named “King of Prussia” by the Holy Roman
Emperor in 1701
King Frederick William I of Prussia
· Ruled from 1713-1740
· The “soldier’s king”
· Obsessed with military – loves tall soldiers, personally inspected soldiers
- tricked tall boys into joining the army
- army grew from 39,000 – 80,000 (4th largest in Europe)
· Ruled as an absolutist – thought his dad was too soft
Ivan IV of Russia
· Ruled from 1533-1584
· Became king at age 3, his parents died when he was 8, became tsar at 16
· Known as “Ivan the Terrible”
· Started a war with Poland
· Reinstituted serfdom to stop Cossacks (peasant armies)
· Married Anastasia from Romanov family
Peter the Great of Russia
· Ruled from 1682-1725
· Was 6 feet and 7 inches tall
· Wanted Russia to expand westward
- needed a warm water port
· Built St. Petersburg and forced nobles to live there
· Brought in foreign experts, initiated a beard tax, and cut traditional long sleeves
· Built baroque palaces and cities from scratch
Important Concepts
Major Events
The Netherlands
The Netherlands underwent a period of intense growth and prosperity in the seventeenth century under the leadership of the House of Orange. The Dutch accomplished such prosperity by building an extensive trade network in East Asia; the Netherlands sustained a strong presence in the region through the first half of the twentieth century. Dutch culture had a strong influence throughout Europe in this period, mainly due to this growth of the Netherlands as a hub of international trade. With the death of William III in 1702, the Netherlands’ universal dominance of European politics and industry began to collapse as it succumed to political and economic stagnation.
England
Scottish Rebellion and the Long Parliament
Charles I dissolved Parliament from 1629-1640; in 1640, the nation of Scotland, which had been under English control, rebelled against the crown. Charles called Parliament into session hoping for aid, but instead, Parliament passed several resolutions limiting the power of the King and ensuring Parliament met every three years. This Long Parliament met continuously from 1640-1648.
The English Civil War
By 1642, the Irish had joined in Scotland's rebellion, and Charles I was left with a dilemma. Parliament refused to grant him money or soldiers to fight a war against the Scots and Irish. Charles summoned forces from among the English nobility and hired foreign mercenaries to form his own private army, which became known as the Cavaliers. Parliament responded by forming its own army from the London militia which became known as the Roundheads. Charles lost the war and was executed in 1649.
Oliver Cromwell and the English Protectorate
Oliver Cromwell , backed by his New Model Army, seized dictatorial control of England following the death of Charles I. He placed the country under martial law, censoring the press and restricting civil liberties. Cromwell died in 1658; martial rule collapsed with his death.
The Glorious Revolution
Dreading the establishment of a Catholic dynasty in England by the infant son of King James II, the people of England invited William and Mary of the Netherlands to England to assume the English throne. James II fled England, and William assumed the throne in 1689, becoming King William II. William recognized the supremacy of Parliament to the monarchy and passed a Bill of Rights ensuring Parliamentary control and the protection of certain liberties. William passed the English crown to the German house of Hanover in 1701.
The Rule of Walpole
Sir Robert Walpole rose to prominence in Parliament in the first part of the eighteenth century; he would later take control of the legislature as Prime Minister, consolidating Parliamentary power to cause it to become stronger than the King. Walpole made many reforms during his tenure, increasing global trade and the strength of the military and propelling England to world power status.
Spain
The War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1713)
Charles II, King of Spain, died in 1700 without designating an heir to the Spanish throne. As such, the major European powers of the period (France, England, the Netherlands, Austria, and Prussia) agreed to equally divide Spanish lands between themselves. Charles II, however, had willed all Spanish lands to Philip of Angeoux, nephew of Louis XIV, King of France. As a result Louis XIV claims that all Spanish lands now belong to France; England, the Netherlands, Austria, and Prussia form an alliance to prevent the consolidation of France and Spain from occurring. The war becomes a stalemate, and is settled by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
The Treaty of Utrecht (1713)
The Treaty of Utrecht was signed by the combatants in the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713 and lists the following terms:
This treaty largely equalized the balance of power in Europe.